


Playacting

by ascanios



Category: Think of England - K. J. Charles
Genre: Espionage!, Honeypot missions!, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-17
Updated: 2017-12-17
Packaged: 2019-02-16 07:17:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13049193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ascanios/pseuds/ascanios
Summary: Honeypots like this aren't Daniel's typical bag, he's not usually up for grabs himself, but he is an excellent operative, a brilliant liar, and a formidable seducer. He managed to lie to the Armstrongs for weeks on end, he can manage to flirt with a murderer for an evening.





	Playacting

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BryroseA](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BryroseA/gifts).



> HAPPY YULE!!!

It's a testament to Daniel's terribly embarrassing weakness for the man that he stays quiet and lets Archie fret for as long as he does. As it is, Archie rattles off seven more complaints about the plan, the venue, Daniel's clothes and various other mission miscellanies before Daniel's patience goes completely.

"I can do this on my own, Curtis," he snaps. "I would've done before you showed up determined to bloody work with me."

Archie stops in his tracks and glances at him. "No, you couldn't," he says. "Not safely, anyway, and working alone is not within mission parameters. And I wasn't determined to work with you; that all happened quite by accident."

As always there isn't a hint of guile to him and on any other man, Daniel would assume that all this is preemptive jealousy for the events to come but this is Captain Archibald Curtis: hero, excellent in bed, good man and a genuine worrier for Daniel's safety.

"By accident," Daniel scoffs, "hardly. And if you're so charmed by the bloody parameters do be a chap and stop complaining about them." He pauses and hazards a look at Archie, who's standing taught as a wire and stormy as the Irish sea which of course makes Daniel decide that jesting is the only way forward. "Now," he says, "are you ready to look furious with me? Ah, see, that's very good. You should take to the stage."

He waits a moment then flashes a smile and Archie's face clears in the way it always does when he works out that Daniel's needling him. He smiles back.

"What was it again we decided to scream at each other about?"

"My galavanting off with a squadron-mate of yours, I think," Daniel reminds him, and darts in to press a quick kiss at Archie's temple.

When he draws back and looks up at Archie Daniel thinks for a moment about abandoning the mission, "I may have to-" he begins only to have Archie hush him.

"I know what the mission is, Daniel," he says. "Just give me a signal if you need me, and I'll be watching out and give  _you_  the signal if anything seems amiss."

Daniel nods and takes one of Archie's gargantuan hands, runs it through his own hair and Archie moves obligingly with him, stopping to curl his fingers through the hair at the nape of Daniel's neck.

After a moment Archie clears his throat. "Ready?"

Daniel's returning smile is dazzling, "Unto the breach, then, Captain," and he pushes the doors open.

Their mark is Francois Gaudin, a Frenchman the bureau has been looking into in connection with a spate of vicious poisonings. His poisons, nasty ones, are synthesised to be as painful and lethal as possible causing a death that's almost impossible to trace.

Daniel’s seen the photographs, Gaudin dresses like a dandy and from accounts seems to act like one to a certain extent but there’s an edge that manifests in the cruelty of his product and a penchant for finding youth and inexperience, using them, and then testing his poisons on them. Young men no one misses. Tonight that's his part.

Archie has his wrist in a dramatic grip as they walk through the doors and it's just a little too loose to be real but it's nonetheless reminiscent of things that make Daniel colour appropriately and yank his arm away. "Brute,” he says, loudly, "let me go."

"Don't be like this," Archie says, bored, "you're an embarrassment," and he may not have been much for acting last year at that damned house but Daniel's quite proud of him now, there's convincing emotion in his voice, annoyed and assuming all at once. "Come back here at once."

Daniel shakes his head dramatically and makes a show of clutching his wrist. Gaudin is at a table at the far end of the bar, visible through a haze of smoke and, Daniel is gratified to note, watching them, rapt.

“You've always just wanted to drag me around like a prize to show off but I don't have to let you and I won't anymore," Daniel wails, voice high and clear and nothing like his normal tone -- he hadn't realised how much easier it was to slink and to slide, for both walking and talking, how much more natural -- he focuses on making sure to sound just this side of desperate.

With that thrown down, and Archie hurling insults at his back, Daniel cuts a path to the bar, bumping into the occasional unoccupied chair like a foal on new legs and doing his level best to play to Gaudin without looking at him.

He leans heavily on the bar when he reaches it and carefully takes a strand of hair that had fallen artfully from its sleek place and, equally artfully, tucks it behind his ear. He orders himself a gin and tonic -- not his usual tipple but in a place like this it won't be too strong, as safe a drink as he can get whilst still within the bounds of alcohol -- downs it, and is just about to order another when he feels someone close in next to him.

When he looks up, shyly and through his eyelashes, Gaudin is smiling at him, all teeth and empty eyes and saying, “Are you well, monsieur?”

To his own credit, Daniel manages to resist the urge to roll his eyes and just keeps looking up at Gaudin, blinking slowly, assessing, nervous. “I think so,” he says and clutches the empty gin glass to his chest. He darts his eyes around the place as if he’s only just realised where he is and sees Gaudin’s smile sharpen ever so slightly, the bastard.

“What is your name?”

Daniel had been all for using his real name, reasoning that if Gaudin knew who he was it would be all too easy to play himself off as a simpering fop of a poet and if not no harm done but Vaizey had said something about how blasted annoying it was to constantly expunge the name da Silva from official records of things so he's been saddled with, “Wicks,” he simpers, holding out his hand, “And yours, sir?”

“Gaudin,” says Gaudin, taking Daniel's hand in a confident grip and holding for just a shade too long, stroking along Daniel's fingers as he moves away. “And now that we are acquainted perhaps I can help you, that man you were--“

“I’m so sorry," Daniel says, making sure to glance at Gaudin's mouth as he speaks, "awful business causing such a scene, do hope we didn't disturb your evening--.”

“Not at all. But perhaps this man needs a talking to? My friends-" here Gaudin gestures to his table where two large men stand and shift their weight for show, threatening but, Daniel thinks, nothing that Curtis will struggle to handle if needs be, "-would be happy to see to him.”

Daniel lets Wicks look blank for a second before it dawns on him what Gaudin is offering. “Oh no really," he says, bashful and all too earnest, "Mr Gaudin, seeing me with you will hurt him enough.”

Gaudin's smile widens and he looks caught on the bait, entranced by what Daniel, what _Wicks_  is giving him and Daniel imagines it to be the same heady feeling he gets just before an especially difficult lock clicks open - the thrill of the chase and the anticipation of the victory. Of course, Daniel opens locks for His Majesty's government and Gaudin mixes up poisons, sells them to the highest bidder and lets whatever chaos ensue from it, so the feeling might be different.

Honeypots like this aren't Daniel's typical bag, he's not usually up for grabs himself, but he is an excellent operative, a brilliant liar, and a formidable seducer. He managed to lie to the Armstrongs for weeks on end, he can manage to flirt with a murderer for an evening.

So when Gaudin says “Perhaps then we may do more than talk, to make him really suffer?" Daniel manages a sultry smile and demures, “Well, Mr Gaudin, I think that rather depends on how many drinks I’ve had, and this was my first of the night."

“Really? A tragedy,” Gaudin flicks an imperious finger and another gin appears. “My treat, monsieur, allow me.”

Daniel finds himself being led to Gaudin's table and spares a glance back to Curtis who's fending off some desperate svelte blond boy in deep red velvet. To his dismay, a spark of jealousy winds its way up his spine and _that_  is not at all how he'd anticipated the evening would go.

===

Gaudin, who is drinking champagne from a bottle that never seems to empty, is the kind of man to think that his conversation is dazzling and all Daniel has to do is listen and look adoring and awestruck.

He's waiting for a name, this whole thing hinges upon a single name and Daniel is five further gins down and dangerously close to tipsy when, after having dropped every other name under the sun, Gaudin drops it.

The name is West, a businessman running a syndicate of drugs and arms and with worrying links to foreign powers, and Gaudin drops it in relation to a meeting planned for tomorrow. The last thing the foreign office needs is a sale between West and Gaudin and now that they know for sure that Gaudin is in contact the bureau can take their steps.

Daniel stays quiet and awed for a few moments longer and then takes an exaggerated look at the clock, drains his drink and stands with a, "By Jove is that the time!"

Gaudin looks put out and Daniel thinks what the hell would a man like Wicks do in this situation, having been rescued from his brute of a companion and entertained and indulged by this man for an hour or so, he settles for reaches for Gaudin's hand. "Thank you," he says, sweet, "for keeping me company. And thank your bodyguards for-"

"I can still have him beaten for you," Gaudin says, rising too. "Please, let me escort you out. This way we can make sure that man does not bother you again."

The little voice in Daniel's head that's been running a commentary on what he'd very much like to say is laughing himself to tears but Daniel schools his face to grateful with a touch of latent humiliation, and says, trembly, "I wouldn't want to disturb you, you have already done so much."

"No bother at all, Mr Wicks. In fact, I insist." Gaudin signals for his bodyguards and takes Daniel's hand to lead him through the bar.

Daniel smiles, and then stumbles, kicking over a chair and proceeding to apologise _profusely_. Gaudin laughs, helping Daniel to his feet and contrives to cop a feel as he does. He sends his bodyguards ahead and Daniel's inner voice is delighted.

"Will you be safe where you go to, Mr Wicks?" Gaudin asks, a possessive hand still curled around Daniel's arm.

"He wouldn't dare come to my house," Daniel laughs -- and really, how hard is it for murderous chemists to take hints these days? -- "my parents would throw him out on his ear."

They reach the door and, once out in the cold deserted street Gaudin pauses, looks both ways before pressing Daniel against the wall. The kiss is useless and wet and awful and Daniel blessedly detaches himself, leaving Gaudin scrambling and confused just as Archie swings his fist.

The man goes down like a light, conscious but face down and unseeing.

Daniel claps a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing, and bites out a tremulous, "Jesus, you maniac," for Gaudin and the charade's benefit.

"You're coming home with me," Archie growls back, eyes bright and a smile on his face.

"But you might have broken his nose!" Daniel cries, taking Archie's hand over Gaudin's prone form and clinging tight to stay sensible.

Archie grins. "I don't care in the slightest you--"

"I what?" Daniel teases. "Harlot? Slag? Or are we back to dago poof?"

Archie rolls his eyes and gives in. "None of the above you sod," he says, normally, "come on."

\---

The rendezvous point is several streets away in Fitzrovia and Daniel walks as close as he dares, regardless of the hour and the comforting anonymity afforded by the darkness.

Archie lets him, the warm heat of him bleeding through where their arms touch, and Daniel's been almost permanently cold since Peakholme so he welcomes it.

“I do love to watch you work, darling,” he says and Archie huffs out a laugh.

“He was all over you, the git, I don't know how you stomached it.”

Daniel smiles and leans against him, teases, “A lesser man would be jealous, Archie, but surely you aren't such a man--”

Archie makes a low, rough noise and pulls Daniel against the nearest wall, pressing him against it and kissing him like he’s trying to purge every trace of Gaudin from Daniel's mouth.

"You're one to talk besides, Captain Curtis," Daniel says when they break away from each other, gasping, "I saw you and the pretty blond that was all over _you_."

"What was that about lesser men?"

They're still grinning at each other, Archie pulled close to Daniel against the wall when the tail agent they're to meet rounds the corner.

“Alright chaps? Any luck?”

Daniel slides out from the safe closeness of Archie and smiles, “Just as we thought, Scott, the blighter is meeting with West. 'Fraid I only managed to get a time not a place so you'll have to tail him. Shall we telegram Vaizey for you?"

"If you would," Scott says, cheerily, "that'd be capital. Well, I'd better go and -- I say, Curtis, what the devil happened to your hand?"

Archie looks down at the knuckles of his whole hand with faint surprise at the blood on them.

"I told you you'd probably broken his nose," Daniel mutters at him and then turns back to Scott, "The bastard came at me," he says, "and the dashing Captain Curtis here came to my rescue."

Scott, bless him, is one of the few agents at the bureau who genuinely don't mind Daniel in all his Daniel da Silva glory. Of course, the others pretend not to mind when Sir Maurice is looking and only start muttering the second he's gone but Scott just couldn't care less. It's always refreshing to deal with him.

"Right, well, I suppose I ought to be off," Scott says, "Do remember to let old Vaizey know I'm on it and that I'll inform HQ as soon as I know where the meeting's at. Good work, chaps."

Daniel shakes his hand, "Goodnight, Scotty."

Alone once more Daniel crowds himself back into Archie's space and Archie obligingly opens his arms, holding him close, tucked under his chin.

"I really do love to watch you work, you know," Daniel says, quietly and waits.

Archie smiles against his hair and says, "Unfortunately I can't say the same in this instance," solemn as the grave. Archie moves back to tilt Daniel's face up and Daniel finds himself laughing despite himself.

"Oh bugger off," Archie says and pulls Daniel into one of those devastating kisses he's started to reserve as payback for Daniel's teasing. Daniel just melts into it, letting the tension of the evening bleed away until all there is is this, the night and Archie's hands on him, one on his waist and the other creeping up the side of his neck to cradle his head. "Let's go home."

"I'm glad you do," Daniel says quietly, "work with me, I mean."

"So you bloody well should be," Archie tells him and pulls him forward into the night.

 

 


End file.
